Prayer is a privilege and weapon for the Christian believer secured by Jesus. Jesus gave His life for us so we now have direct access to God. Hebrews 4:16 reminds us that we can go boldly to the throne of grace and obtain mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.
When we do an inventory of our prayers submitted to God, we can see that God has a proven record of responding to us, but lately, has it seemed like God is ignoring your prayers? This is baffling! Right when all your plans are going off track, it seems like God is nowhere to be found. Despite your frequent pleas for help, you get no response. What has changed? Why does it seem like God is ignoring you?
God has not changed, but could it be that you have?
The Word of God says, “I the Lord do not change” (Malachi 3:6). God is the same God who heard your cries before and answered your prayers. God is the same compassionate God who has moved on your behalf repeatedly. Since God has remained consistent, have you considered that the reason for your prayers not being heard has something to do with you? God is the same, yes, but have you changed?
Instead of believing God is ignoring your prayers, see if some of the following conditions are causing your prayers to be hindered or blocked:
I love reading about the miracles Jesus performed in the Bible. The Spectacular Miracles of Jesus highlights the seven types of miracles Jesus performed while on earth. Some occurred regularly, for many people, in many places:
1. Casting out evil spirits.
2. Healing the informed, blind, sick, deaf, and injured.
3. Controlling the elements.
Others were more iconic:
1. Allowing Peter and other fishermen to catch an extraordinary number of fish.
2. Turning water into wine.
3. Feeding thousands of people.
4. Raising people from the dead.
Awesome, right? What unmatched power Jesus possesses! So, it amazed me when I first came across the verse in the Bible, “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). The people in his hometown lacked faith in who Jesus was and what He could do. Jesus’ power did not diminish, but it was the unbelief of the people that limited the manifestation of His power in their lives. What is the point of asking God for something if we do not believe and have faith that He will or can perform the request? Let us be like Abraham as recorded in Romans 4:21, “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
God repeatedly shows us in His Word that unbelief is guaranteed to cause our prayers not to be heard. Faith is required when we pray if we expect our prayers to be heard.
Mark 11:24 “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”
Matthew 9:28-29 “and when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: in Jesus, saved unto them, believe you that I am able to do this? They said unto him, yay, Lord. Then touch he their eyes, saying, according to your faith be it unto you.”
Matthew 9:22 (The woman with the issue of blood) “...but Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, daughter, be of good comfort; Thy faith had made the whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”
Mark 5:36 Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue when others told him his daughter was dead, “Be not afraid, only believe.”
Mark 11:22-24 “And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”
Matthew 21:22 Jesus says, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.”
Clearly, unbelief cannot be present when we pray if we want our prayers to be answered by God.
Proverbs 28:9 (AMP) emphasizes that if a person does not adhere to the Word of God, but instead turns the ear away from His law, that person’s prayer is an abomination or repulsive to God. It is important that we daily examine our actions and ensure they line up with the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is within us to empower and walk alongside us to help us keep God’s commandments.
According to Psalms 66:18, sin not dealt with blocks God from hearing us. “If I regard sin and baseness in my heart [that is, if I know it is there and do nothing about it], The Lord will not hear [me]" (AMP). Confessing our sin in true repentance needs to be a continual practice.
We are reminded that when we confess our sin to God, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Humility is required to do this. It would behoove us not to be arrogant in our wrongdoings.
James 4:3 (NSRV) shares that when we pray, our intentions or motives must be pure: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.” If you have not received an answer from God, before assuming He is ignoring you, check your motives behind your request!
Is your request selfish, benefiting only you? Is the plan to give God the glory when you receive what you are asking for, or is it just so you can brag about what you have accomplished? Will what you are requesting of God bring you closer to Him or pull you away from God? Is there potential that what you are seeking will become an idol in your life? Check your motives.
Many believe that forgiveness is a personal choice. For the Christian, it is a choice of whether we will decide to obey or not. Any instruction from God to do something is a command, not a suggestion. When we choose not to do what God says, we are disobeying God, which is sin. We have already established that sin in our hearts blocks our prayers from being heard.
If you are holding a grudge against someone and have decided you will not forgive them, I encourage you to reconsider your decision. Ask God to help you forgive anyone who has offended you. Also, ask for help to forgive yourself. God will give you the grace and strength necessary to do this. After reading this article, take time to do self-reflection. Is there anyone you need to forgive?
In Mark 11:25, Jesus instructs us that when we pray, we are to forgive anyone we have anything against so that our trespasses or wrongs are forgiven by the Father.
“The best we can say to God in prayer, is what He has said to us.” - Matthew Henry
God has expressed His will to us through His Word. God’s Word is His will. When you pray, pray the Word of God. The intention is not for us to pray and ask God to conform to our will and intentions but that our will begins to align with God’s. Luke 11:2 tells us, “And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.” (KJV)
According to 1 John 5:14, we can have confidence in Him, knowing that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. To know the will of God, we must read the Word of God. A great practice is to pray the Word when making our requests known to God. For example, if you are seeking healing and/or prosperity, reference 3 John 1:2 (KJV): “Beloved, I wish about all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” A sample prayer could look like: "Father God, I ask according to your Word that you will bless me to prosper and be in health even as my soul prospers."
To pray for God’s divine protection, a prayer could look like: "Father according to your Word, I ask and trust that you will give your angels charge over me and my family to keep us in all our ways." (Psalm 91)
Read the scriptures that address your requests, and you can include them in your prayers.
If you have been praying and it looks like God has been ignoring your prayers, reflect inwardly to see if any of the above have hindered your prayers. If so, make the necessary adjustments. When you pray, be certain that you:
Pray in faith with belief in your heart, not doubt.
Make certain to confess and repent of any sin.
Be sure your motives are pure and unselfish.
Do not have unforgiveness in your heart. Forgive.
Know the will of God and pray accordingly.
Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Anthony Tran
Sandra Cobb is a grateful mother of three amazing children and grandmother of nine precious grandbabies. She is a certified Forgiveness Coach, speaker, and author of "Free to Forgive." She is passionate about sharing the love of God and testimonies of how faithful He is!